ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Multiple metro area residents have been charged with defrauding pandemic relief programs over the years, raising new questions about how often taxpayers recover stolen money from these crimes.

One recent example is Cory Elliott, who pleaded guilty Tuesday to fraudulently obtaining more than $1.7 million in PPP funds. Elliott did not comment after her court appearance.

But in court, she admitted to what she did. Elliott intentionally inflated payroll for her company, CMT LLC, to get federal assistance money, then used it for unauthorized purposes, prosecutors said.

The former owner of the controversial downtown nightclub Reign, Dana Kelly, and her associate have also been charged with PPP fraud recently. Former Missouri Speaker of the House John Diehl adm

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